Steam Curator Connect: send your game to curators
28 Oct 2026 · 5 min read
A review from someone a player already trusts can do more than another impression on the store. Steam Curators are those trusted voices, and Curator Connect is Valve's tool for getting your game in front of them: a copy sent through Steam, with a short message, no keys or emails. This guide covers who can use it, the limits, and how to pick and pitch curators, from Valve's Steam Curators page checked 28 Oct 2026.
What a Steam Curator is
Valve describes a curator as an individual or group who highlights games from the Steam catalog for their followers. They can write positive reviews for games they recommend, negative ones for games they think are a bad fit, or informational reviews that add detail. Some started as well-known people or press with an audience elsewhere. Others built theirs on Steam by serving one genre or niche well.
Curator recommendations are one of the places Steam surfaces games, next to the Discovery Queue and friends' activity. See Steam visibility rounds for the others.
What you need first
| What Valve requires | |
|---|---|
| Store page | At least a Coming Soon page, reviewed, approved and live |
| Build | Uploaded, so curators can play what they receive |
| Permission | "Generate CD Keys" for the game in Steamworks |
| Curators | Offers to up to 100 |
| Copies | Up to 5 per curator |
| Revoking | Not once accepted. An offer not yet accepted can be expired |
To find it, select your app in Steamworks and open Curator Connect under the marketing section of the app landing page. The first time, it walks you through enabling the feature.
Sources: Steam Curators and Curator Connect. Checked 28 Oct 2026. Valve updates these pages; the Steamworks docs always win.
The reviewer package
Enabling Curator Connect makes Steamworks create a new package named with the suffix "complimentary reviewer package". It sits on the Associated Packages & DLC page under Promotional or special-use packages, shown in yellow. Curators get a license to it directly through Steam; no key is generated.
Choosing curators
Click Connect with more Curators to search and select. By default the list favors curators whose chosen tags overlap most with your game's tags, weighted toward higher follower counts. You can filter by:
Each curator shows its Steam followers and its followers on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook or Twitch, and links to its page with the games it has reviewed. Valve's advice: do not judge by audience size alone. A curator with fewer followers and tailored recommendations can be worth as much as a bigger one with broad taste.
Missing a curator? The list only shows profiles that are still active. Valve says a curator you cannot find has likely not reviewed a game or been active in the community in the last 6 months.
Writing the message
Steam attaches your game's name, logo, screenshots and primary tags automatically; curators see a preview with the first 3 screenshots on your store page. So put your best three first. Your message should be brief: Valve says to get to the point, say why that curator's audience will care and what is special about your game. Add contact details if you want the curator to reach you.
After you send
A copy sent before launch is playable at once, which makes Curator Connect a way to get word out before release. Valve's only caution: make sure the game is in an enjoyable state first. It belongs in the weeks before release on a Steam launch checklist.
Where a broadcast fits
A curator who likes your game sends followers to your store page. A live broadcast there shows them the game moving before they scroll. Loopcast keeps a store page broadcast running from an uploaded video, with no PC left on at home, billed per minute on air. You can try it free for 7 days, no card needed.
FAQ
What is Steam Curator Connect?
A Steamworks tool for sending a copy of your game straight to Steam Curators you choose, with a short message. It runs entirely inside Steam: no emails and no keys. Curators see a preview of the game, the first 3 screenshots on your store page and your message.
Does my game have to be released to use Curator Connect?
No. You need at least a Coming Soon page that has been reviewed, approved and set live, and a build uploaded so curators can play it. A copy you send before launch is playable at once.
How many curators can I send my game to?
Valve allows offers to 100 curators, with up to 5 copies of the game each. Extra copies are mainly for multiplayer games, so reviewers in one curator group can play together.
Why can I not open Curator Connect in Steamworks?
Your account needs the "Generate CD Keys" permission for the game. With it, Curator Connect appears under the Marketing section of your app landing page.
Do curators have to review my game?
No. Valve says curators have no obligation to accept, play or review a game. A curator may play it and decide it does not fit their audience, or turn it down.